Kati & Mattes: August 2009

Laos - Ang Nam Leuk

The next day, after fixing the tire, I pushed for more remoteness... taking the road another 30km (oneway) into the jungle to the waterreservoir of ang nam leuk... (stausee). It was remote, but also kind of left/dead.. beside shitting cows nothing much to see.. the lake small but beatiful but also not inviting..

so, back to civilization... if we make it, cause petrol is running low... here is some idea of how many cars take this road every day - 0.

Kati exhausted from all the bumpy roads...

Laos - Tad Leuk

Besides all the fun in the tubing by kajak, we decided not to get drunk again but continue with what we are here for... discovering the country and if possible go off the beaten track... so we started what i will always remeber as the 3 day motorbike trip in lao in rain season... if that doesnt promis adventure, what does.. here she is..(above) my new lady friend.. a beautiful Honda FTR (almost) fullcross..

And right at day one we have the first surgery! 20km into the Nationalpark just north of Vientiane, i.e. 20 km after the last sign of civilization besides a NP entry checkpoint, we had a flat tire. No mobile coverage... no... pushing was on the menu. For one more hour, after a 5h bike ride through almost all unsealed road to mud holes... in the heat.. no fun.. however, we made it to the remote tad leuk waterfall (tad=waterfall) and te local ranger helped me getting the tire off... and together we brought it on his little korean scooter!!! back to the village for a fix...the next morning of course

ion the meantime swimming at the waterfall - sleepiung was in a tent and there wasno shower anyway... and a couple of beerlao with the ranger...

this was probably the closet we got on the whole trip to a local, who didnt speak any english at all. He did live with 3 of his 9 daughters at the waterfall, and on the trip to the village he presented me to his wife and two more daughters.. akward situation, cause i couldnt say anythiong to them besides thanks for the coffee... but hey.. thank you little ranger for fixing our bike!!

Laos - Vang Vieng no tubing

There is plenty to do besides tubing, we rented mountainbikes and went on a 32 km round, which sounds like a piece of cake, but given all the cave and rivers you want to see and swing and swim... it took us almost 10h!!

caving with Eve from switzerland barefoot was one of the most fun things... especially when the spiders came

The bike tour was also slowed down due to a couple of rivers that crossed our way - no bridge of course.

Well, and last but not least we went for a caving (in a tube and crawling through watercaves for an hour) and kajaking trip, that eventuyally would go down just the famous tubing strip.. ole! funny enough, I loved it and even kati was surprised... besides thousands of drunk english youngsters.. the place is pretty cool.. full of bars, and massive swings into the water... you do jump from 10m towers and better hold on to the bar for a couple of swings, cause letting go the first time might just throw you on some random steel cable which was put into place for the flying fox...
Maybe we can upload some pics later... we didnt bring our camera for water reasons... and... the Canon IXUS died the day before...

Laos - Vang Vieng

The big question - whats the hype about Vang Vieng and in the tubing? Almost every 18 year old british traveller must have been here, done the tubing, got ridiculously drunk and bought the t-shirt.. so far ok, but what are we doing here.. first of all we found the expected upprized hostels at the river.. but we got away with probably the most beautiful accom in Vang Vieng. Above view from our Bungalow. Below our garden and bungalow from outside..

The countryside - leave all the tubing aside - is stunning!!

Tok tok, the one axis tractor - for me the perfect rain season vehicle, cause they get through any kind of mud...

Laos - Luang Prabang Phousi Mountain

In Lunag Prabang the old city is located on a peninsula which hosts the little hill Phousi. Climbing the Phousi for sunrise or sunset is a must, or so they say.. we werent lucky with the weather.. but it was still exhausting..

some friends

Buddah statues everyuwhere on Phousi and basically in LPB

French influence in the colonial style buildings at the far north of LPB

Laos - Luang Prabang

Food market - Fresh fish on a stick, my personal favorite

Annelaure and Mathieu from france - buddy travellers from Nong Kiao

everyday several fruit shakes - for 30 Euro Cents

The monks in LPB are famous. Every morning they come out of their Vats and walk along the streets, where the other villagers donate them their best rice.,..

Laos - Nong Kiao tours

Due to the limestone formations there are caves everywhere. the one in Nong Kia is nice, cause it has some openings to let light in - or to see the countryside...

Kati chillin on our special anina - hamock

rive life

mountainbike tour into the jungle - freaking hot... nicely refreshing

Laos - Nong Kiao

river life

Nong Kiao, beautifully located, very secluded, very cozy, nice place to chill and relax

Laos - border crossing to Muong Koah

Our trip to Lao started perfectly: the bus was cancelled. So the shortest way to explain the pain of this beautiful day is the following - 13h for 84km! Or taxi to vietnamese border, hiking from vietnamese side to Lao side for 1h, negotiating, hitchhiking on the yellow truck into Lao, negotiating again, getting on a local bus/truck for 70$!! which then got stuck in the mud, waiting, walking through the mud, getting on a non people truck (see below) to continue until construction side, where the road only opens from 11-13h an 17-19h. then finally getting to muon khoa and taking the ferry to our hostel (3rd pic). good lord, thanks we started the day at 5am.